TABLE 5.
RT-PCR results of expression assays of select B. burgdorferi genes from flat and feeding ticks
| Gene | RT-PCRa
|
cDNA array induction (severalfold) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat tricks | Feeding ticks | ||
| BB0647 | − | + | 2.08 |
| BB0690 | + | − | −1.57 |
| BBA15 | + | + | −1.73 |
| BBA64 | − | + | 16.68 |
| BBA66 | − | + | 31.22 |
| BBA72 | − | + | 45.06 |
| BBA74 | + | + | −2.93 |
| BBA62 | + | − | −3.80 |
| BBD18 | + | − | −2.22 |
| BBB19 | − | + | 33.60 |
| BBJ25 | − | + | 12.33 |
| BBH37 | + | + | −2.41 |
a
A plus sign indicates an amplified transcripts, while a minus sign indicates lack of amplified transcript. Each gene's severalfold up- or downregulation on the cDNA array is shown on the right for comparison. Note that a downregulated gene on the array may be expressed in both flat and feeding ticks. It's likely that such a gene is preferentially expressed in the flat tricks, but the transcript can still be detected in feeding ticks, as spirochete populations within feeding ticks are heterogeneous.